Habitat/ecology: "It is well adapted to arid and semi-arid conditions. Most Jatropha species occur in the following seasonally dry areas: grassland-savannah (cerrado), thorn forest scrub and caatingas, but are completely lacking from moist Amazonia.

"Latitude: 28oN to 30oS.Altitude: Provenances have been collected from altitudes varying from 7 to 1600 m above sea level. Usually it is found from 0 to 500. Temperature: Average temperatures of provenance collection sites range from 11 to28o C. It can survive a short, slight frost.Water: Average annual precipitation of provenance collection sites is from 520 to 2000 mm. However the species survives well in semi-arid regions. It has stood several years without rainfall in Cape Verde. Radiation:Range & intensity: Bright sunlight.Photoperiodism: It is daylight insensitive.Physical: It grows on well-drained soils with good aeration and adapts well to marginal soils with low nutrient content." (Ecoport).

In Fiji, "cultivated and also naturalized along roadsides, on open slopes, and sometimes in forest" (Smith, 1981; pp. 545-546). In Hawaii, "cultivated and sparingly naturalized" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 623).
In Tonga, "often grows in rows about plantations, along roads, and other places
where it is used as living fence posts" (Yuncker, 1959; p. 165). In New Caledonia, "planté en haies et localement commun en fourré secondaires" (MacKee, 1994; p. 52).

Propagation: The fruit releases three large black seeds (nuts), each about 2 cm long and 1 cm in diameter.
"The capsules split open when ripe to expel seeds away from the parent plant.
Seeds are also dispersed by water and in mud on vehicles and machinery or animals. Some spread occurs from the tuberous roots which sucker." (Smith, 2002; pp. 30-31).

Native range: Native of the Caribbean region, has been introduced as a hedge and ornamental plant to many countries including Europe, Africa, India, Indonesia, Philippines and some Pacific Islands and Australia (Ecoport).

Vos, P. 2004. Case studies on the status of invasive woody plant species in the western Indian Ocean. 2. The Comoros Archipelago (Union of the Comoros and Mayotte). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Forestry Department, Forest Resources Division, Forest Resources Development Service, Working Paper FBS/4-2E. 34 pp.